I am so envious of her writer super-powers. Must… write… more

Sometimes the universe I’ve created suggests other stories, and then I work with those.

That’s my method. YMMV

The challenge and opportunity of series does interest me. There is, too, for me, a consideration of how we also absorb them in visual media, such as TV where it can range from stand-alone episodic with almost zero character transformation (but great for syndicating/selling for use in any old order) to long-arc progressions (where you feel you missed something if not in from the start and continuing to watch). Of course, there are many in between.

A challenge, indeed, to balance the series & character brand familiarity without getting stale when doing the more episodic, whether as TV or book. But also for realising, if not risking (as such), that quite often fewer watchers/readers may follow a longer form narrative, or sub-brands. All comes back to creator’s intent, I imagine, in deciding what is wanted and why, and which is therefore vital to sustaining many, many stories.

“Give us more of the same, but different!” A classic dilemma.

As a writer, broadly do you enjoy creating series more than stand-alones? Or that doesn’t much matter – it is particular stories that jump up for you, wherever, and that the buzz. Can be in a series mythos or stand alone? Whatever – the tale if the tell!?

I have found it hugely enjoyable to play with all this in distilling ideas and fictional worlds/types of approaches to stories. In terms of output, I kicked off with The Eyewitness Protocols and while the long-arc first collection of episodes comes to a conclusion, and is quite a long tale in itself, I came to realise that I saw other possible strategic steps for the further development of the characters and challenges of that world. Other series are in development. Great!

I also wonder, these days of ebooks (but also POD), about story length (generally) for series books as well as standalones. Wondered what thoughts you might have on that too.

Thanks for the great posts, and blog.

best, Pat

And thank you, thank you, thank you for the nomination!

As for reading a series, I keep with the series as long as it interests me. I give the writer one or two bad books, but if there are three in a row or the series is going in a direction I don’t like, then I quit. But I monitor. I ask friends with similar tastes–did the series improve? Change directions again?

When I recommend, though, I only recommend the memorable books. So if the series is going just fine, but I can’t tell the books apart, I don’t recommend. If one book really, really stands out, I recommend.

I think the biggest problem with a series is balancing what’s good about it with keeping it fresh. That means twists readers don’t expect, and lots of work. When I write a series, I try to make each book better than the last, whatever better is. I don’t rest on my laurels.

I mentioned two series, above. One didn’t start out as a series, and doing a series kind of negated the first book, which irritated me. Now, I’ll read the next several books because I love the characters and I’ll probably forget how annoyed I was at the negation.

The second series is hanging by a thread for me. It’s been going for fifteen or so years, and it’s starting to caricature itself. It was a lot more realistic in the beginning. Now, it seems, the writer doesn’t quit know how to continue the set-up after 25 books, and rather than shake up the series, he’s just going through the motions. Imho.

So invest in the series you like, but if you’re getting bored, figure out why. It might be that it no longer surprises or pleases you.

By the way I nominated you for the One Lovely Blog Award, the details are on my blog http://pawilson.ca/one-lovely-blog-award/

I’m always taken but how many works of non-fiction you pack in to your reading schedule among all the fiction work and reading.

Following from your post, it’d be interesting to know about more about your approach to reading (writing?) series – you described one as a fav though repetition seen, suspending or interrupting at least, your enjoyment around the overall premise; and, the premise again possibly comes up in the other, ie “…what will be…” a series, where the first book worked but despite plusses the second didn’t quite work for you, and possibly you stop there with that prospective series?

I imagine that while a series offers a writer much potential, in so many ways, it also provides readers with many stepping off points, perhaps unlike a one-off story – although, as Jeff raised the point, we may stop in many things.

Would be great to know more of how those choices, reactions worked for you on the series mentioned, but also your approach to knowing what would be (for whatever reason) a good series to invest in as a writer. Thanks.

Patrick

So. Permission granted.

Have a question for you. When you read a short story collection or anthology, do you finish every story, or do you stop reading a story that doesn’t interest you?

Probably a silly question, but I have all these collections and anthologies on my shelves I haven’t cracked because I feel I have to finish every story I start reading. Oddly, I don’t have this same sense of obligation with novels. I’ve stopped reading many novels after 80% because I got bored with them.

Maybe I’m just looking for someone to tell me it’s all right not to finish a short story once I begin reading it.

Can I have permission to do so?